Yeah, aknecht, Kent's facilities are the best. I felt that, too. So, I wonder how meaningful it is that Kent has a required three-year writing program, whereas Loyola and most others do not. Kent also seems to put more emphasis on full-time faculty. But, it seems as if Loyola's rise in the rankings will continue -- and their 2010 numbers, which have not been factored into rankings, are even better than the recent other years, namely in terms of lsat and applications received. http://www.luc.edu/law/admission/enteri ... stats.html

The current TLS vote tally is unfortunately close:(I had the vote tally here but am editing it out, so people can vote without knowing what the vote totals are first.) Maybe I'll figure out the right school by April 15 .. !!

Holding mean, insecure individuals accountable ("retake," etc) is appreciated. It's very possible -- and has happened many times over -- to be extremely successful out of a lower ranked school, and it's very possible to not be successful out of high-ranked schools. We'll see how everything turns out for everyone.

Take a tour of the two schools and figure out for yourself which one you feel most comfortable in. I went to Kent's open house a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with their facility. I haven't had a chance to visit Loyola but the general consensus is that Kent's is one of the best in Chicago.

You should also consider scholarship offers. Finances should not be taken lightly and if one school offers you a substantive amount of money, you should go to that school.

Finally, not that it matters too much but just a couple of years ago, Kent was ranked 60th according to USNWR - their number has fluctuated a lot over the years often times coming close to tier 1 and then other times staying in the middle of tier 2 pack.

I like Loyola's location within Chicago much better. Kent has the better known and most likely higher in quality legal writing program. Loyola has produced some bigger names. Both facilities are great. Kent's technology seems slightly better. Loyola seems more comfortable and pleasurable. Job placement statistics and salaries are apparently identical.

There will never be a definitive answer! What do others think who have been to both or who have heard about both

credence023 wrote:Take a tour of the two schools and figure out for yourself which one you feel most comfortable in. I went to Kent's open house a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with their facility. I haven't had a chance to visit Loyola but the general consensus is that Kent's is one of the best in Chicago.

You should also consider scholarship offers. Finances should not be taken lightly and if one school offers you a substantive amount of money, you should go to that school.

Finally, not that it matters too much but just a couple of years ago, Kent was ranked 60th according to USNWR - their number has fluctuated a lot over the years often times coming close to tier 1 and then other times staying in the middle of tier 2 pack.

Yup .. as it turns out, as of now, Loyola has offered me nice $. I was very pleased. If it turns out that, in the end, it is between Kent and Loyola and there is a significant discrepancy in offers or it's nice offer v. no offer (as it stands now) .. the choice will be made for me.

If it's similar offers, I still don't know which I'd choose. I really like them both.

I made the Waitlist from an amazing Tier 1 Midwest law school and expressed my continued interest, and I'm waiting to hear back from three other schools. The choice might become obvious in the end. I remain confident based on everything that I have to offer and what I have proved in the past that an acceptance can come my way.

Well, maybe not so confident. Of course, because it's me, we all know what will happen. The remaining amazing schools politely decline, and Kent makes the same offer that Loyola has made. Then I flip a coin.

Kidding. We'll see how it all turns out in the wash. Best of luck to everyone. Go Chicago

Philosopher1 wrote:Kent's ahead of Loyola in the rankings 61 to 71. Kent's 4th in Trial Advocacy and 10th in Legal Writing. Loyola is 9th in Health Law. Interesting factors

Seriously reconsidering Kent after the new rankings (I know I shouldn't care that much about them). Anyone have any luck negotiating for lower stipulations on their scholarship? Mine has a 3.25 attached to it.

I had to stop myself from deciding on Kent when the rankings came out basically because it doesn't really change much. They will still be equal in terms of employment. I think you should just base your decision on scholarship money and what you plan to do with your legal career. I am attending Loyola because I got basically the same scholarship money and I also got some grant assistance, plus I really want to go into Health Law and Kent limits my options for classes in the area. Just my two cents.

Philosopher1 wrote:I most certainly want to go into advocacy, litigation, etc. Is Loyola's as strong as Kent's? In Chicago, it's said that it is .. but the specialized rankings say otherwise. What are some thoughts ...

Spack wrote:I had to stop myself from deciding on Kent when the rankings came out basically because it doesn't really change much. They will still be equal in terms of employment. I think you should just base your decision on scholarship money and what you plan to do with your legal career. I am attending Loyola because I got basically the same scholarship money and I also got some grant assistance, plus I really want to go into Health Law and Kent limits my options for classes in the area. Just my two cents.

I chose Kent for Health Law and am very happy with the course offerings, professors, clinical experience, etc. in this area at the school. I don't feel limited at all and feel like Kent has just as much if not more to offer in this area, especially being a part of IIT. Also, specialty rankings hold very little weight compared to the overall ranking.

Spack wrote:I had to stop myself from deciding on Kent when the rankings came out basically because it doesn't really change much. They will still be equal in terms of employment. I think you should just base your decision on scholarship money and what you plan to do with your legal career. I am attending Loyola because I got basically the same scholarship money and I also got some grant assistance, plus I really want to go into Health Law and Kent limits my options for classes in the area. Just my two cents.

I chose Kent for Health Law and am very happy with the course offerings, professors, clinical experience, etc. in this area at the school. I don't feel limited at all and feel like Kent has just as much if not more to offer in this area, especially being a part of IIT. Also, specialty rankings hold very little weight compared to the overall ranking.

I wasn't really thinking about specialty rankings as I'm well aware that they hold little weight, but Loyola does have the Health Law fellowships and the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy which I consider a big asset because I want to go into health law. When I compared the two I personally thought that Loyola was better in a multitude of ways but to each his own.

runnergal wrote:"When I compared the two I personally thought that Loyola was better in a multitude of ways but to each his own."

Well, it's clear that many people, including those at US News disagree with you.

I'm fine with people disagreeing with me. I never said that the ways in which Loyola was better were in ways that are measured by the US News or that matter to other people as much as they do to me. I think it's a personal choice and I wasn't really arguing for OP or anyone to go to Loyola on the basis of my personal opinion.